Chamaedorea tepejilote

Chamaedorea tepejilote, also known as the pacaya palm, is a species of Chamaedorea palm tree found in the understory of the forests of southern Mexico, Central America, and northern Colombia.[2]

Edible inflorescence of the pacaya palm (with other flowers)

Chamaedorea tepejilote
Pacaya palm (Chamaedorea tepejilote) taken at Atitlán Lake in Guatemala
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Chamaedorea
Species:
C. tepejilote
Binomial name
Chamaedorea tepejilote

Uses

The immature male inflorescences of the plant are considered a delicacy in Guatemala and El Salvador. The unopened inflorescences resemble an ear of corn in appearance and size.[3] Indeed, the word tepejilote means "mountain maize" in the Nahuatl language and was selected because of this resemblance.[2] The common name pacaya, referring to both the plant and its edible flowers, could be derived from the Pacaya volcano.[2]

Pacaya has a somewhat bitter taste, although less so in cultivated varieties.[2] It is eaten in salads (especially fiambre, a salad traditionally eaten in Guatemala on the Day of the Dead) or covered in egg batter and fried.[4] The latter dish is called envueltos de pacaya, and is often served with tomato sauce, like chiles rellenos.

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References
  1. "Chamaedorea tepejilote". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  2. Castillo Mont, Juan José; Gallardo, Negli Rene; Johnson, Dennis V. (1994). "The Pacaya Palm (Chamadorea Tepejilote; Arecaceae) and its Food Use in Guatemala". Economic Botany. 48 (1): 69. doi:10.1007/bf02901383.
  3. Cook, Orator Fuller (31 December 1910). "History of the Coconut Palm in America". Contributions from the United States National Herbarium. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 14 (2): 311. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  4. Pieroni, Andrea (2005). Prance, Ghillean; Nesbitt, Mark (eds.). The Cultural History of Plants. Routledge. p. 33-34. ISBN 0415927463.


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